They also talk big about an Esports teams...they haven;t relaised they'll be paying the Esports players bigger contracts than the AFL players!

Essendon has an Esports team.
https://oce.lolesports.com/oce-opl/opl-2018-split-1/teams/bombers-413

There's a lots of barriers to climb over and hoops to jump through in order to enter the NBL.

Each proposal should be taken on merit.

Only issue is. What about all the supporters of the other 9 melbourne AFL teams. Surely they wont follow a new team in am AFL teams colours...

just think about what is going on here

No AFL club is coming out and saying they're investigating NBL teams, it's coming from either LK or reporters. A Melbourne based AFL team got very close about 4 years ago, but shelved the idea, and then canned it altogehter. Would be genuinely surprised if it happened anytime in next few years.

It's just LK huffing and puffing.

Let's see, we've had the following so far re: "new teams":

1.) 2nd NZ team (Kiwis said not paying for a licence)/TAS team (in the works but this has never directly involved LK)
2.) Gold Coast team with Chinese players
3.) AFL teams

What have I missed out?

and what will he come up with next?

As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad publicity,

Getting the NBL is the news is a positive, even if most of these never come off.

We had Big Joe come out and say that he wanted an NBL team playing out of NT as well but now he works for 36ers so I'm sure that is dead to rights.

Forgetting the whole AFL affiliations things, I think Essendon would like Bogut to come over as joint owner or something like that and when Essendon gets bored which we know they will then Bogut will have to rely on his name and his charm and hopefully brand awareness to get new owners in... I prefer that idea over Hawthorn but then again Gleeson could return to them ?

We had Big Joe come out and say that he wanted an NBL team playing out of NT as well but now he works for 36ers so I'm sure that is dead to rights.

Forgetting the whole AFL affiliations things, I think Essendon would like Bogut to come over as joint owner or something like that and when Essendon gets bored which we know they will then Bogut will have to rely on his name and his charm and hopefully brand awareness to get new owners in... I prefer that idea over Hawthorn but then again Gleeson could return to them ?

Lets be real about the NBL for a second.

They just had a team go under (Townsville) and have a couple of other not turning a buck.

NZ has new ownership which could be good or bad time will tell.

Outside of crazy rumors there isn't many options for expansion on the table that are realistic.

More pressing issues should be Brisbane/Sydney and getting them competitive and viable particularly Brisbane as they have some major finance and engagement issues before we even get to the poor on court product.

I would be surprised if the AFL teams aren't looking into it. It's pretty clear the AFL wants to dominate the sporting market as much as possible in Australia so expansion into basketball after having made moves already into netball wouldn't be out of the question.

Or if/when they can't profit from it, they'll pull the pin. I agree I'd be treading carefully - don't think the AFL teams would be going into a venture like this for the good of basketball.

More i think about it, the more i'd prefer to see the NBL continue with the same 8 teams next year. No expansion.

There's enough going on with Illawarra, Brisbane and Sydney and ensuring they are sustainable.

Anon '017, what clubs specifically are doing plenty to make this a reality?

Essendon - club has a a "how good/cool would this be if it panned out?!" without any actual commitment from the Dons

Hawthorn – "We'll never say never" is just lip service because they’re being nice. They are hunting for funding for a huge home stadium in Dingley and need cold hard cash to fund...which aint an NBL team